7 Apps To Help You Conquer Those 2016 Wellness Goals

It’s been just over two weeks since the new year started, how are those 2016 resolutions going? If your answer to that isn’t as positive as you had hoped, relax. It’s never too late to start afresh.

Besides, it’s still January after all; the year remains ripe for new, healthy habits to be formed.

So why not form a habit of using these game-changing wellness apps that we’ve compiled for you? Trust us, they’re a fun and unique way to help you hit those wellness goals hard as 2016 gets underway. Check ’em out.

Running for the sake of it isn’t for everyone, but running for your life from a hoard of zombies seems to appeal to many. The zombie craze is alive and kicking in Manila, but till the next Outbreak Manila run takes place – you can get your fix via the tech world.

Through it immersive and imaginative storytelling backed by exemplary audio effects, Zombies Run transports you into a world where you become the hero in a frightening story of human survival. This popular horror-themed run tracker is just another way to inject some fun (or fear) into your runs.

Lark will literally coach you to better health. Say what? I’m not kidding – one of Lark’s impressive features is its ability to “chat” with you over messenger in real-time like a real person or in this case like a nutritionist. Lark even checks in on your meal times, throws in occasional emoticons and words of encouragement – using it almost feels as if you’re having a conversation with a chirpy weight-loss coach in real-time.

Similar to many smart apps, you have to feed it information in order for it to function optimally: your goals, your current stats, and what you’ve been munching on – the more info you input, the better. The key difference is, it offers a more interactive and fun approach to food and activity logging with Lark’s insights becoming more valuable and substantial over time.

You can’t type your own random messages to it (yet). It mostly just prompts you with yes or no questions and lets you input your recent food choices. But still, it’s quite an exciting app to use. Oh, and it replies instantly – you won’t ever need to worry about getting ignored on chats!

If you struggle meeting deadlines and fending off procrastination, this app could be the answer to your 2016 goals. We live in an era full of distractions and multi-tasking, most of which caused by the very vessels these apps rely on: our phones. But that shouldn’t be the case – in fact, it could be the opposite. Our phones have the potential to make our lives more productive and meaningful, if we allow it.

Inspired by an Italian tomato-shaped timer back in the 80s, the Pomodoro technique is a simple means to get things done more efficiently through focus. Basically, you’re given a ‘pomodoro’, which lasts for 25 minutes, to focus on a single task. After that, the app rewards you with a 5-minute break. (That’s worth around 3 or 4 cute baby videos on your Facebook news feed, sounds like a good bargain, right?) Then you go back to work on another pomodoro, and the cycle (and productivity) goes on! This app is simple, yet undeniably effective.

More than just an average food and exercise diary, MyFitnessPal is an all-around wellness companion. It gives you a daily calorie budget – an estimate of net calories* you should be taking based on your weight, goals, time-frame, and current lifestyle. Theoretically, if you don’t stray from it, you should be on your way to shedding those unwanted pounds.

*net calories = calories you get from food – calories you burn through exercise

It is worth noting though that calorie-counting has its pros and cons. The good thing about this app is it doesn’t just focus on the number of calories alone, but also monitors your nutritional intake, giving you an overview of your eating habits to pinpoint which aspects of your diet need improvement.

You just have to exert a little effort and honesty in logging everything (even those that you’re not proud of) everyday. Or you can have your barkada monitor you too! Just hang in there and be patient, and soon prepare to be amazed by how much you can achieve by simply being mindful of what you eat.

It creates a playlist of exercise routines for you, with varying intensities, complete with easy-to-follow video guides and audio cues. You can even skip routines that you find too difficult. (Yep, you don’t need to do burpees if you don’t want to!)

This app has been referred to as ‘englightenment on your phone’ and was developed by Andi Puddicombe, who was trained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk before creating HeadSpace. Recommended by The New York Times and Emma Watson herself, Headspace promises newbies and busy-bees a guided experience into the world of meditation.Many are well-aware of the health benefits of meditation – so if you were considering giving meditation a try, this might just be the ideal way to ease into it.

Waking up during our deep sleep phase is one of the reasons too many of us feel groggy in the mornings – and remain that way till our first cuppa’ Joe.

Sleep Time can help you avoid this constant annoyance. Hey, maybe it can even help you become a morning person?!

Sleep Time does three things. First, it helps induce sleep through soundscapes, lulling you to sleep with the sound of the ocean or the rain. Second, it functions as a smart alarm, waking you up during your light sleepphase so you begin your day with a refreshed feeling. Third, it monitors your sleep schedule and gives you insights on your patterns.

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Health Begins With Her is the Philippine's first women's go-to guide for all things health & wellness. We believe in conscious living and being proactive towards health. Kickstart you wellness journey with HBWH today!